The Legend of Zelda: Way of the Hero
by SkyDown1080
Summary: Every legend has a beginning, every legend has an end. For millennia, tales of the Triforce gave hope to the people of Hyrule. But those tales have long since faded. Now an ancient evil returns to enact its judgment on the world. A new hero must rise and vanquish the evil once and for all. *DISCLAIMER* I do not own Legend of Zelda, this merely a fan's interpretation of that story.
1. Prologue: The Legend Begins

**This is my first fanfic ever, so be gentle. Other chapters are to come, and in abundance throughout the year or so. This prologue, like any good one, does not directly deal with the plot, but instead displays the tone of the story. future chapters will delve into more familiar territory, as well as a plethora of new stuff. So stay tuned! Oh, and I like to write long chapters, so be prepared in the future. Anyway, without further ado, check out this prologue, set before Skyward Sword.**

Prologue: the Legend Begins

Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Those were the only terms he could use to describe the Three Golden Goddesses. Din was absolute power, Nayru has absolute wisdom, and Farore was absolute courage. He could not compare. True, the Demigod was something of a deity himself, but in the presence of his creators, he stood as a lesser being. There was no question why he envied their power, if only a little.

His brother and sister were at his sides. All three of the minor gods hovered over the new world, and the Goddesses floated above them. The light from their perfect forms brightened the night sky, and when they spoke, nothing else was heard.

_This world is our gift to you, _the creators said in unison. _It and its people are yours to govern, and to protect._

The Demigod dared not to take his eyes off the brilliance that stood before him, but nevertheless he sensed the joy emulating off his brother's face. And his dear sister, he could tell, had a slight smile on hers that cleverly disguised the true level of her affections. The Demigod knew this because he knew his family, and discounting the land below, it was the only thing that mattered to him.

Suddenly, the Goddesses disappeared into the clouds, taking their golden light with them.

"Where did they go?" his sister Hylia asked.

"You're the wise one, you tell me," the Demigod said.

His brother, who was given no name, remained silent. He was the last of the minor gods to be created, behind Hylia. The Demigod was the eldest, and thus it was he who was given the most power. When the Goddesses left, it would be his authority that would rule over the creatures of this world. Hylia was to be his advisor, but their brother had yet to be given an assignment. Thus, the Demigod suggested that he become his ambassador to the humans, since he was already so fond of them while the Demigod was not. This pleased Brother greatly, and the Demigod counted it as his first act as a just ruler. It still puzzled him, however, as to why the Goddesses kept Brother's role in the new world a secret. The Demigod was also left without a name, but the Goddesses had at least given him the Master Sword to protect the world from dark forces. In addition, Hylia received the Goddess's Harp to guide rulers toward peace with its melodious notes. But their Brother received nothing. What was his role, then? What was his part to play in all of this? The Demigod had thought long and hard about this, but it was of no use. Not even Hylia could answer such a riddle.

This mystery lost itself in the back of the Demigod's mind, however, when he noticed a faint light glisten over the horizon. It shined red over Eldin, the land of fire.

"Look, above the mountain!" he cried as the light shot towards him.

"No, the ocean!" Hylia replied. "A blue light approaches!"

"The forest, it glows green!" said his brother.

The Demigod glanced at each star, red, blue, and green, as they flew into the night and painted the sky with their colors. Then, once the world was full of beauty, the lights met in the clouds far above him. The world turned white like lightning, and loud thunder broke the air. When the Demigod opened his eyes, he was met with the world's first drops of rainfall. Then he saw it.

In place of the three stars, one great, golden light shined. It descended with the rain to meet with the minor gods. As it lowered itself, the Demigod could discern the source of such beauty. Beneath a veil of white fire glowed three, small, golden triangles. The water around them was evaporating off the bright flames, giving off thick steam that rose back up into the sky. Yet this sight paled with the objects themselves. The Demigod could not take his eyes of them.

_This is our final treasure, the manifestation of all our power. This is the Triforce._

The Demigod's eyes widened as he heard the Goddesses words. This was a taste of what it was like to be a true god, he thought. This was divinity, an inheritance for him and his family. He kept his gaze on the golden power as a smile grew across his face. Slowly, the individual triangles connected to make one large Triforce, and at its peak was the Triforce of Power. Absolute power. Without haste, he raised his hand and touched it.

Nothing happened.

The smirk on the Demigod's face quickly diminished as he pulled back. The voice of the Goddesses thundered through his ears.

_NO, THIS IS OUR GIFT TO MANKIND. YOU MAY NEVER HAVE ITS POWER, _the Goddesses thundered.

The three triangles suddenly came apart and flew away. He turned to see them reconnect behind Hylia. His sister showed as much surprise as he did. She quickly turned her head to see the treasure that now rested in her protection, and then back to the sky in confusion.

_The one to whom we have given a name shall receive our treasure. She is the wisest of all of you. She shall guard it until the time is right to pass it to man._

This made no sense. Only the ruler of this realm should be bestowed such an honor. Hylia was intelligent, to be sure, but she lacked the passion to lead. And man was too weak. Surely the Goddesses were mistaken!

"But I am more powerful!" the Demigod shouted. "I should be the one to guard it! I should be the one to wield it against our enemies!"

_You cannot. You will use your own power to destroy the evil that approaches from below the surface. If you deny your duty, it will mean the demise for us all._

The Demigod opened his mouth for another retort, but a quick hand appearing on his shoulder urged him to stop. It was his brother's, and his eyes pierced through Demigod's anger as he shook his head in silent disapproval. The Demigod looked back at Brother's compassionate face, then down as shame started to weigh on him. He eased the tension of his body and nodded.

"What of Brother?" he said as he stared back into the now dark sky. "He has yet to be given a responsibility."

No response echoed through the sky. The Demigod turned back to face his brother, and he noticed Hylia do the same. Easily the weakest of the minor gods, Brother tried his best to seem unaffected by the Goddesses' silence, but it showed regardless. Soon, it was his head that was lowered as Hylia and the Demigod each laid a hand on his shoulders. Seconds passed, then minutes. Eventually, they all decided to descend into their new home.

The place they settled was a large opening in the forest, with only a few large stones to distract them from the fields of grass that encompassed it. The stars shined above them, and the bright moon rose high. But the most radiant object of the night was the Triforce. It illuminated the entire field with golden fire, like it was the sun itself come down to join the minor gods as they comforted their Brother.

The Demigod refused to look at his sister the whole while. His anger started to rise inside him again, and he clenched his fist tightly. Why did the Goddesses giver _her_ their ultimate power? It was not her place to have such a thing. It was his. He was the oldest, the one fated to rule this land. And yet she was the one given a name, the one the goddesses most trusted. Why not him? Why shouldn't he have the Triforce for himself?

It was this last statement that snapped the Demigod back into reality. Was he beginning to resent Hylia? No, he thought to himself, that was preposterous. Gods are above such feelings. Besides, he loved his sister. He would never betray her affection and her trust over something so pathetic as jealousy.

Slowly, his thoughts shifted to Brother. Why did the Goddesses reject him once again? Why would they, in all their superior judgment, leave such a gentle being out of the minor god's inheritance? If anything, it was _he _who deserved a name, not his sister. They Goddesses had failed him.

"Why would they do such a thing?" he said, no longer able to contain himself. "Why would they cast away Brother like he was insignificant?"

"Contain yourself," said Hylia. "Your arrogance has already done enough."

"But it isn't fair! Why would they give him nothing, and then give _you_ their ultimate power?"

Hylia's face remained the same cold, serious expression, but the tone of her voice became like the heat of a blazing fire. To anyone else, she would have seemed like judgment itself. "Is that what this is all about? You're angry because you weren't given this power? Do you not realize you would not be able to wield it anyway?"

This statement took the Demigod back. "What do you mean?" he asked, still trying to keep a foothold in the debate.

"The Goddesses said it was mine to _guard_, not to use. And you were unable to harness it when you touched it. Therefore, the logical explanation is that none of us can wield it."

"Then who can? Men?" He laughed at that notion. Men were valiant, but they were not divine. They could be swayed easily.

"Yes. The Triforce is mine to protect until the appointed time for men arrives." Hylia then shifted her gaze to the holy relic, as if she was still unsure of something and searching it for answers. "Although, I do not know what they meant by that."

The Demigod continued to plead with Hylia, but she kept refusing him. At the same time, their Brother still refused to acknowledge what had happened. At first, the Demigod thought it was because his brother was in shock, but now he saw that the opposite was true. The minor god stood on the green floor of the new world, gazing at the teeming life that lay at his feet. The grass stood a few inches above the dirt, and insects patrolled the leaves around them. A single, blue bird landed at his feet to turn up the grass for food, like it was unaware that before it currently stood a deity. Soon the minor god was kneeling beside the bird, and the Demigod almost thought Brother was going to command the bird to leave his presence. But he didn't. He instead scooped the animal into his hand, holding it firm enough to keep it in its place, but loose enough to keep it comfortable. Then he took seeds into his hand and held them in front of the bird, and the bird began to eat it. After a moment of this, he released the bird back into the free sky, where it flew high into the trees until it could be seen no more.

By this time, Demigod had long ended his argument with Hylia, and they both were staring at their Brother. Brother smiled brightly to both of them and was beginning to leave when he stopped short. The three minor gods stared back into the sky, sensing the presence of their masters returning. Then they heard the Goddesses' last message.

_The one given a name shall guard our treasure._

_The one given power shall be given a name._

_The one given nothing shall find his own name._

And with that, the Golden Goddesses left the world.

Slowly, each of the three minor gods left their place of meeting to attend to their separate duties. Hylia summoned a large bird with crimson feathers and, with the Goddess's Harp in one hand and the Triforce in the other, flew off and into the clouds. Brother, barren of any inheritance but still smiling, walked on into the shade of the forest trees, with only the moonlight to guide him.

The Demigod was the last to leave, and he called for the largest and sturdiest animal to take him across the nearby valley and into the mountains. Soon, a tall horse exited the trees where Brother had disappeared. Its hide was deep black, with no shine, and its mane was like ruby. It approached the Demigod and bowed its head accordingly. The Demigod smiled and mounted the beast. With one hand holding onto the mane and the other clutching the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane, he kicked the horse into a gallop. The two rode through forest and into the fields, but the minor god slowed his steed when he felt the presence of an unknown entity. He turned the beast around. They rode back through the familiar path they had made. When they were in the same field they departed from, the Demigod dismounted and walked back into the spot where he was standing.

The grass had not yet risen back up from where his feet had stood, and it was there where the Demigod felt the entity. He knelt down and rubbed his hand along the surface. Nothing was physically there except the blades of grass. Yet he could feel something else there, something malevolent. He stood back up as he felt a tremor coming from the Master Sword.

Suddenly, the ground shifted and began to collapse. The result was a small, narrow hole, but it was far from simply being a strange occurrence. This was where the dark forces were to appear out from under the surface, the space where the Demigod had stood during his moment of weakness. This was the evil the Goddesses spoke about.

He found a nearby boulder and sat upon it, staring at the spot in the ground. He tried to keep hold of his blade, but soon the shudder became too much of an annoyance and he dropped it on the ground. His horse trotted beside him, but he paid no attention to this either. He looked only to the place where the evil was beginning to surge from, the place where he learned he was denied the power of a god.

Then the words of his creators came back to him. _You will use your power to destroy the evil that approaches from below the surface. If you deny your duty, it will mean the demise for us all._

Demise, he said within his deepest thoughts. That was the name of this darkness. That was the name of this power.

_The one with power shall be given a name._

Demise.

**Hope you enjoyed a little backstory to my fanfic as well as a different take on the LoZ mythology, and be sure to review and dish out any criticism you wish. Just keep it clean and constructive if you would be so kind. And if you liked, stay tuned! More is to come, that is for sure.**


	2. Act I, Chapter 1: To Hylian City

**Now we meet our protagonist and a few supporting characters. Note that most of the "new" characters are based off characters that appeared in the games. As for the setting, its the closest i could come up with without having the Hylians fly around in hovercrafts. Here it is MAGIC that is exaggerated, not technology. So now everyone has almost unlimited access to magical "enchanted" items that make their lives easier, instead of them having smartphones and air conditioning. With that out of the way, please enjoy the chapter!**

ACT I: THE CALL

Chapter 1: To Hylian City

"_Link?"_

_The image of a woman appeared next to him in the darkness. His arms were wrapped around her and they both lay inside a bed made of straw and animal skin. Blankets were on top of them, but he could tell they didn't help in keeping them warm._

"_Link, when are you going to talk to me?"_

_He turned to face her. She had emerald green eyes that pierced through the shade of the night. Her hair was a dirty blonde that parted in the middle, and her face was the fairest he had ever seen. He knew her name, but couldn't place it. Slowly, his hand moved to her cheek and began to caress it. He gently pulled hair back over her ear and felt the touch of her hand over his. She closed her eyes and smiled. He was about to speak when he heard a knock on the door. He got up to answer._

"_**You stand as a paragon of your time."**_

_Suddenly, he was standing in the courtyard of a ruined temple. In front of him were the steps to a platform with two large, stone statues of birds on either side, and beyond that was a massive sculpture of a woman with wings. Then, beyond the stairs, he saw a girl. She must have been no older than seventeen. Long, blonde hair stretched down her back and into a braid. Her gown glowed a deep pink in the sunlight, and she wore a white wrap over her shoulders. He could barely make out the figure of a golden instrument in her arms. He was walking toward her as he noticed the figure of giant bird sailing through the blue sky. Then he heard her sing, "Oh, youth, guided by the servant of the goddess…"_

"_**My hate… Never perishes."**_

_Now he stood in what looked like a throne room. The walls were decorated in a kind of tainted bronze, and rows of stained glass windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling. They let in an orange light that painted the air with dread. At the far end of the chamber, he saw a large organ take the place of the throne, and a tall man cloaked in blood red was playing it. The notes sang ominous messages to him, but they soon became an afterthought to the large crystal that floated above the instrument. Inside was another girl, so much like the last, only her dress looked much more formal. She looked relieved and terrified at the same time._

_He had only taken a few steps forward when he felt a burning sensation on the back of his left hand. It boiled his skin until what looked like a golden triangle formed in its place. He stood gazing at it for a second before the music stopped, and he turned his head back to face the man on the organ._

"_The Triforce parts are resonating… They are combining into one again…" the figure said._

_Out of nowhere a voice appeared, speaking with thunder and venom in its tongue. He wanted to cover his ears._

"_**An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"**_

_He fell to his knees as the burn from the triangle became hotter. The voice was laughing now, as if it had achieved a bitter victory over him. It laughed harder and harder as the pain in his hand grew to be unbearable._

_He looked up one last time to see where he was. He now stood in the middle of a field at twilight. Miles before him was a large pillar of smoke, and the man, now clad in black armor, was racing toward him on the back of a dark horse. The girl in the crystal was at his side now, praying to the spirits for aid, but he knew it was of no use. No matter where they went, no matter what they did, they could never escape this evil. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate. The last thing he heard was faint as a whisper: __**"I am your Demise."**_

"Link?"

He opened his eyes. The light from his window, shining past the drapes, made him on his side. He was back inside his room, and whatever nightmare he was having was finally over. It took him a moment to realize his sister was peeking through the crack in the door.

"Oh good, you're awake!" she said, bursting through it like a circus freak. "Uncle says you should hurry if you want to get there early. It's past 10, by the way."

Link jumped out of bed upon hearing this. He went to the pile of clothes in the far corner and found his boots under them. He was already wearing his clothes for the day: a simple dark-green, long-sleeved shirt with a loose collar and a pair of dark-brown pants held up by an old leather belt. Each had been with him a long time.

"Well, are you coming or not?" she said. That was Teya, always trying to rush him into work. It was no wonder she and Uncle got along so well. This time, however, she didn't have to tell him twice.

He chased her down the steps to the kitchen. It was the largest room of their small house. The entire place was built from the lowest quality of materials, but Uncle insisted they were the best materials he could find. Link noticed him fixing eggs over the fireplace. It was an outdated method of cooking, but their old guardian said it was still the best. No amount of enchantment would ever heat a steak the way fire could.

"Up already? I thought you'd be in bed till at least noon," he said. His short, gray hair contrasted nicely with Link's, which was bright blonde like his father's. The same was true for Teya.

"Link told me to wake him if he didn't get up by nine," she said. "He said my job was to be his personal alarm system."

Uncle smiled. "Well then, you should have employed her years ago."

Link nodded and sat down at the table. Uncle scraped the now scrambled eggs onto the stone near the center. Next to that was the rest of breakfast, all pre-prepared because of their enchantments. He grabbed a few biscuits and put them on his plate.

"Try to finish those off," Uncle said. "The magic in them went to waste this morning."

Link emptied his plate accordingly.

Uncle continued to speak. "The race is at five, you said?"

He nodded.

"And Epona feels good enough to race? You feel good enough to race?"

"I'll be fine," Link answered.

"Last time, both of you needed to take a red potion to walk again. Those horses the other competitors ride are a lot more dangerous than the announcers say they are."

Link didn't respond.

Uncle changed the subject. "Be sure to buy only the essentials while you're there. And get salt. It's about time we started preserving our own food, not just buying some easily-spoiled, magic biscuits."

With that, Link walked outside to the stables. He opened the gate and led his horse, Epona, to the exit. She was taller than most other horses of the time, reaching almost six feet in height. Link attributed that to the breeding. Hopefully, the same would be true for her speed, and she would be able to outrun the magic-enhanced competition. Or at least finish without getting injured. He saddled her and laid the banner with the number the judges gave him, 27, under it. He was ready to leave when Teya came running.

"Did you forget something?" She said, waving a familiar article of clothing in his face. He calmly snatched it out of her hands. It was his racer's jacket, or rather, half jacket. The whole thing covered only his left arm, side and most of his back. The judges said it was new for this year, part of a more contemporary look. Link thought it looked tacky. At least he didn't have to wear it with tights, they told him. It was a brighter green than his shirt, and the material was thicker and sturdier. Supposedly, it was made of the same material as the tunics of the heroes of old, but Link didn't think too much of these fairy tales. Almost as if to spite him, he found one of their ancient symbols engraved on its back. It was a crude drawing resembling a bird with its wings stretched out. Above it, there was a sketch of a floating triangle…

Link jumped as he felt a slight sting on his left hand. He turned to look at it, but nothing was there.

"Big Brother? Are you okay?" Teya gave him with a curious look.

Link acted as if nothing happened and set the green sleeve over Epona's saddle. Then he smiled and gave his sister a wave goodbye. She stopped him.

"You said you would take me with you this time. You promised."

He asked her when he ever said such a thing.

"Last night, when you told me to wake you," she answered with a mischievous grin. "You don't remember? Uncle said it was fine so long as I don't cause you trouble."

Link looked back to the house, where Uncle was standing with his arms crossed and his head nodding with approval. Link looked back at Teya. Her hands were crossed behind her back, and the wind lightly rustled her small, white dress. She wore sandals under her tiny feet, which her innocently kicking through the dirt on the ground. She was looking up at him the eyes of a nine year old.

"Fine," he said.

Teya cheered with glee. Link shook his head as he made his way down the hill. Soon he was at the entrance of the local inn. Across the way sat the general store "Sera's Sundries," and in front of that was a large shelf with rows of small compartments. Inside each was a clay instrument known as an ocarina. Link picked one out of the shelf and read the notice attached:

"_Warp Ocarinas for 10 rupees. One way only!"_

He walked in and paid the storekeeper, and then returned to find Teya firing questions at him about their destination. Link ignored her as he pressed the mouthpiece to his lips. He blew into it and played a short song, then waited for the item's enchantment to kick in. Soon, streams of light were appearing over his body, and he turned to see the same thing happening to Teya and Epona. His sister didn't seem to notice. Link smiled and looked up to the skies. The last thing he heard was his sister asking, "Exactly how big is—"

And then they were no more than particles of light. Traveling faster than anything else in existence, they left the village of Ordon and arrived to Hylian City in mere moments.

Hylian City stood at the center of Hyrule and expanded beyond for miles. It was now the exclusive location of the kingdom's various games, since most of its citizens were now living within it. The most popular was the Hylian National at the Coliseum, a massive Horse Race of over thirty contestants. Since speed had not been a factor in most Hylian horses for generations, almost all of them had minor enchantments placed on them to make them faster. Epona was the only horse without them. She and Link made it into the competition by only a slim margin.

Outside the Coliseum, the city was massive. The average height of the buildings stretched almost ten times that of its original settlement, the old Castle Town. Uncle said this was all because of the over-abundance of magic, though Link tried not to listen to him during his rants. Ever since the discovery of the Ancient Temple in the northern Faron Woods, he told him, the prevalence of magic had exploded. Before, it was a blessing only a select few even had access to, including the royal family and the heroes of old. Now, it was proving to be the downfall of their way of life.

"This place is amazing!" Teya said, her head looking straight up at the heights of the buildings. Link told her she should wait when she saw the towers at night, when the city's light enchantments turned on. Streaks of sky blue and rose red would seep through the cracks and edges of every surface, outlining the city's architecture. They also revealed hidden symbols, he said. The first time he was in the city, he blinked and found the whole place painted with light, like it was the surface of one giant mural. Each picture, the locals had told him, was supposed to tell a story of Hyrule's rich history. The only problem was that not many remembered their history.

They made it to the market with little navigation. Like every day before a race, the alley was crammed to its entrance with shops, merchants, and buyers. Link left Epona at the coliseum and followed the crowds. Teya was at his side, holding his hand and constantly twisting her body to look at anything in the market that stood out to her. Unfortunately for Link, that meant everything. Each store had its assortments of goods, from magical potions and enchanted clothes to adventurer's tools like bows, arrows, and even a few bombs. Teya dragged him from one station to the next until Link pulled her aside and reminded her why they were there. The race was in only a few short hours, and they would need most of that time to collect everything they needed. Disappointed, Teya complied, and they both went to work locating and purchasing their goods. Soon, the only thing left on their list was the salt.

The two made their way back to the entrance of the market, where Teya said she saw a spice store. They were almost there when something caught his sister's eye and she steered them off course once again. This time, it was a bazaar that sold antiques.

"Ah, a young man and young woman," the old man behind the counter said with enthusiasm. "What can I interest you in today?"

"Uh…" Teya said as she noticed the stare Link had been giving her for the past couple minutes.

"How about a rare gift for your parents?" the merchant persisted. "Perhaps a priceless artifact of Hyrule's history?"

Teya kept looking up at Link. Then she turned back to the salesman. "Sorry, but we can't," she said.

The merchant did not seem to be affected. "You are travelers, are you not? You seem as though you are not from around here."

"Yes," Teya said, "we warped here from Ordon."

Link noticed a few heads turn to his left. They were three teenagers, all male, and each wore a gray satin tunic over dark garments. They were snickering at them. With this in mind, Link told Teya it was time to leave and started pulling her away from the old merchant.

"Oh, don't leave without a souvenir!" He said, still pleading with them. He pointed to Link. "Surely you, a young man who has seen the dangers of the countryside, knows it is too dangerous to go alone. Wouldn't your sister feel more secure knowing her brother will protect her with _this_?" He reached down under the counter and pulled up a sword. It was still in its sheath, stretching to almost three feet. It looked ancient, like it had seen hundreds of battles over the course of a millennium.

"This is the Hero's Sword," the man said, barely supporting its weight with his boney hands. "It is the last of its kind. Forged from the precious metals found in the Goron Mines, cooled in the crystal waters of Zora's Domain, and pressed with the finest leather made from the animal skins of Faron Woods, these blades served as the weapons of the knights of Hyrule. Look at the blade, still sharp as the day it was given to its master!" He pulled the sword a few inches out of the sheath and exposed the blade. Link looked at it and saw the merchant was right. The cold steel was rugged and chipped in a few places, but the edge looked as if it had just been sharpened. Then it occurred to Link that it had.

The old man seemed to notice Link's disbelief. He went on. "Come now, young adventurer, will you take this great weapon? Will you become this girl's hero?" He made his last statement with a higher emphasis than the others.

Teya spoke before he had a chance to refuse. "Oh, Link's not a hero. He's just my brother."

On the other side of the alley, Link could see the teenagers chuckle. He took his sister by the hand and began to leave.

The merchant called after him in desperation. "But sir, this sword is—"

Immediately another customer stepped forward. A long, gray cloak made it hard to tell who was under it, but Link assumed it was a girl by her slim figure. "I'll take it," she said as she took out a large pouch of rupees from under her disguise. The merchant, satisfied, took out each rupee and began to count them. Link tried to get a glimpse of his rescuer's face, but she turned her head away just in time. She lifted the sword off the counter and slung it over her shoulder before walking in the opposite direction.

Link walked Teya out of the small crowd their scene had created. As they passed by the teenagers in the far left corner, he could hear their laughing. "Hey hero!" one said. "Is your sister going to race for you, too?"

Teya turned her body around to respond, but Link shoved her forward before she could get a word out. "They're following us," she said. Link told her to ignore them. They reached the spice store in a few moments and stood in line.

Suddenly, Link's head jerked to the right as he felt something had slam into the side of his head. The person in front of him flinched and moved forward. A few others stepped back. Link staggered to keep his balance. He heard the thump of a rock hitting the floor and felt a drop of blood run down his face.

"Well that got his attention."

Link looked to his left and saw the three teenagers standing and laughing twenty feet away. One was in front of the others, with a stone in his hand. He had thick black hair that contrasted with his bright red eyes, and they all wore gray tunics made of silk under dark clothing.

"What did you do that for?" Teya yelled, running toward them. Link got up and ran after her.

"Who me?" the leader of the gang said. "I don't you're talking about."

"You hit my brother with a rock, you jerk!" She threw a punch at him, but he dodged it and grabbed her wrist.

"Maybe you should learn to watch your tongue, brat," the leader said. He began to squeeze her hand as Teya tried to get it out of his grip.

Link was on him in a matter of seconds. He pushed the kid off his sister and watched him fall back onto the stone floor. The leader jumped back up and rushed toward Link. Link stood his ground and eased Teya behind him. Soon the kid's face was only a few inches away from his.

"You want to try that again?" he said.

Link stared right back at him. "Don't touch my sister."

The kid was about the same size as he was, but Link kept staring at him like he was a foot shorter. Eventually, he stepped back a few feet as Link felt Teya's arm wrap around his. He turned and saw her worried face staring back at him. "Link, don't. Let's just go."

He was about to respond when he heard footsteps scurry behind him. He turned and saw a fist flying at him. It connected and sent him back. Link fell onto the ground and immediately pushed himself up, only to get hit back down.

"Link!" Teya screamed. She tried to step forward but Link held out his hand and told her to stay where she was. He got up and wiped the blood off the crack in his lip.

"I've seen you here before, farm boy," the kid said. "You're that idiot racer who doesn't know when to call it quits." He threw another punch, but this time Link was ready for it. He focused on his balance as the fist smashed into his left cheek. His face shot to the right, but his body stayed where it was. He turned his head back to the kid slowly and tried his best to make it seem like the punch hadn't fazed him. The kid was stunned. He punched him again in the stomach, and then again, but the result was the same. Eventually, the kid gave up and took a step back. He was breathing heavily, like he had never hit anyone before in his life.

Link felt his chest and counted only a few bruises. His face was a little worse, with a busted lip and a cut near the side of his head where the rock hit him. Other than that, though, he was fine. In the corner of his eye, he could see Teya's reaction to all this. She had her hands on her mouth.

The kid took a quick look back to his friends and motioned them to come forward. Within moments, they surrounded Link and confined him within a few square feet. The dark haired kid stepped forward with newfound confidence, though he was still panting.

"Do you have any idea who we are?" he finally said after he caught his breath.

Link didn't reply.

"We're the Sheikahs, you peasant. We protected the royal family for generations. And you, you're just some kid who thinks he can compete in the National."

Link still didn't reply.

"Did you hear what I said? You're nothing. You're an inbred, degenerate piece of filth who only gets recognition from other inbred, degenerate pieces of filth. What do you say to that?"

"Want my autograph?" Link asked with a smile.

The kid snapped. He pulled his fist back and threw it forward, but this time Link had already moved out of the way. He grabbed the kid by his neck and kneed him in the stomach, causing the kid to heave out the air in his lungs. Link took him by the shoulders and pushed him down to the ground. The kid hit the floor face-first, breaking his nose. Blood dripped out of a gash near the top.

"You son of a…" one of the other kids yelled as he came at Link. The other charged from behind. They tackled him to the ground. He tried to get up but they kicked him onto his back. They took turns stomping on him.

Link shielded his face as he saw the leader get back up, clutching his nose. He shouted obscenities as the others continued to beat Link. Eventually, one kicked at the right angle into Link's knee. He felt it crack under his skin and screamed.

The teenagers stopped their onslaught soon after. Link felt the aches all around his body and the pain stabbing at his leg like hot knives. He looked over to find his sister but saw someone else instead. It was the girl in the gray cloak. She walked up to the three boys and unsheathed her sword, pointing the end of the blade at the one with the broken nose. All of them jumped back.

"Touch him again and you will regret it," she said.

The three boys nodded and ran off, disappearing in the crowd. Link's vision started to blur as he looked up at the girl. Her hood was still on, but he now could see her face. She had pale skin and vibrant blue eyes.

Her eyes wandered down to meet his. "You're going to be alright," she said.

"Great," he replied. And then he was out.

**Gotta love those cliffhangers! This had a bit of exposition, but i promise the next will have more excitement. Anyway, tell me what you think of the story so far. Do you like what I'm doing with the story? Do you hate it? Am I butchering the mythology? Give me your thoughts.**


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